Key facts
- Lionel Messi is reportedly set to acquire 100% of Spanish second-tier football club CD Eldense.
- This follows Messi's earlier purchase of a 100% stake in Catalonian team UE Cornella.
- Messi also holds an equity option in his Major League Soccer team, Inter Miami.
- CD Eldense is currently owned by Colombian businessman Juan Carlos Trujillo and his investment group.
- The club has experienced multiple promotions and a relegation in recent seasons.
Football superstar Lionel Messi is reportedly nearing a complete takeover of CD Eldense, a second-tier Spanish football team based in Elda, Valencia. This move signifies an expansion of Messi's investment portfolio in Spain, following his earlier acquisition of a 100% stake in Catalonian team UE Cornella and his equity option in Inter Miami.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Messi has agreed to the deal in principle. This development places him among contemporaries like Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds a 25% stake in UD Almeria, and Gerard Pique, whose Kosmos Holding owns 90% of FC Andorra, as active club owners in Spain's LaLiga 2.
The trend of footballers investing in club ownership is growing, with other notable examples including Kylian Mbappe's stake in SM Caen, Vinicius Jr's involvement with FC Alverca, N’Golo Kante's ownership in Royal Excelsior Virton, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's share in Hammarby IF.
CD Eldense is currently owned by Colombian businessman Juan Carlos Trujillo and his investment group, which also has interests in Club Llaneros FC and Swiss side Bellinzona. The club has seen significant recent activity, achieving three promotions in three seasons between 2021 and 2023, followed by a relegation in 2025 and a subsequent promotion last season. However, they are yet to secure a win in their opening four matches of the current 2026-27 LaLiga 2 campaign.
If approved, the acquisition would add CD Eldense to Messi's growing list of investments, which already includes UE Cornella, Inter Miami, and interests in the hotel and tech sectors.